Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	john_n	know_v	love_v	12,900	5	7.0960	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43682	The true notion of persecution stated in a sermon preachd at the time of the late contribution for the French Protestants / by George Hickes ...	Hickes, George, 1642-1715.	1681 (1681)	Wing H1875; ESTC R20004	26,260	37

with it and when from this diffusive spirit of charity which actuates all the parts of the truly Catholick Church those that have riches and live at ease will contribute to those that are poor and in distress The testimony of a good Conscience is a great cordial because it results from considering that we suffer for Righteousness-sake and so are conformed unto Christ in his sufferings and thereby have a comfortable title to all those mighty promises which he hath made unto them that forsake Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Lands and Country nay and lay down their lives for his and the Gospels-sake This consideration made the Apostle glory and rejoyce and take pleasure in his infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions and in distresses for Christ's sake And I question not but our suffering Brethren the Confessors of the French Communion are supported in their present miseries by these comfortable reflections and rejoyce in spirit that they are counted worthy to suffer for his holy Name The comforts and joys of the Holy Spirit consist in those gracious irradiations by which God is wont in an extraordinary manner to affect the Souls of true sufferers in such measures as their condition requires From this principle I conceive it was that Paul and Silas after they had received many stripes sang at midnight in the innermost Prison with their feet fast in the Stocks and that so many Martyrs have smiled upon their Tormentors and broiled in the Flames with little or without any sense of pain In such cases it seems reasonable to conclude that their natural is strengthned with infused courage and that they are also rendred more or less senseless because they are rendred Ecsttatick with the secret assurance of Gods favour which in 1 Thess 1.6 is called joy in the Holy Ghost I cannot say that our suffering Brethren generally speaking are yet in such a condition as to stand in need of supernatural assistance but when ever it shall please God to call them or us to such a degree of Persecution that we shall be killed all the day long and be counted as sheep for the slaughter I question not but he will assist us in it and in all these things make us more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord. But besides the comforts which the suffering members of Christ receive from their own Consciences and the Spirit of God they are to receive support and comfort from the Brotherhood from their fellow-members in Jesus Christ Thus 2 Cor. chap. 8 9. we find the Apostle exhorting the Corinthians after the example of the Churches in Macedonia to a liberal contribution for the poor distressed Saints at Jerusalem Thus also Acts 11. the Disciples of Antioch as soon as they understood by the Prophet Agabus that there would be a Dearth throughout all the World which is the Scripture-phrase for all Judaea they determined to send relief unto the Brethren of Judaea by the hands of Barnabas and Paul For the Universal Church is but one Body whereof Christ is the Head one Family whereof he is the Master one Temple or Spiritual-building whereof he is the chief Corner-stone and this strict relation we have to one another as members of the universal Church is such that if one member of it suffer all the members ought to suffer with it and therefore a Soul void of pity and compassion a Soul that cannot sympathize with his suffering Brethren though as to outward appearance he may be a Christian yet he hath not the Spirit of Christ that Spirit of Love which informs all his members as the Soul doth all the parts of the Body and makes them sensible of one anothers harms By this saith Christ shall all men know that you are my Disciples if ye love one another And if we love one another saith S. John God dwelleth in us and this Commandment have we from him that he that loveth God love his Brother also Therefore my Brethren God by his Providence hath now brought you to the Test to try every one of you whether you are true member of Christ or no It is Christ that hath sent these his poor members to beg relief of you and in as much as you do it or not do it to one of these little ones remember that you do it or not do it to him But besides the obligation you have from Christian charity Christian equity also obligeth you to do it For whatsoever you would that men should do unto you in any condition that you are bound by the Gospel to do unto them and therefore as you would desire or expect to be dealt with in a time of Persecution so it is your duty now to deal with them The times of performing some Gospel-duties seldom occur but when they happen and they always happen by God's special Providence we ought to look upon such accidents as providential calls to the vigorous and exemplary performance of them and who knows whether God hath brought this evil upon our Brethren not only for the trial of their Faith and Patience but of our Love Pity and Compassion and of our willingness to minister unto the Saints Therefore let us now acquit our selves like loving Brethren towards them who are true Sons of that Mother Church to which they belong and from which they never yet departed from the beginning of the Reformation under the endless pretence of setting up purer Congregations and enjoying purer Ordinances and purer Worship but from the beginning have kept the unity of Spirit in the bond of peace Let us not be backward to Good and distribute among them for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Let your abundance as the Apostle speaks be a supply for their want and who knows but that God seeing our readiness to relieve them in Persecution may be so well pleased as to deliver us from Persecution and all the Judgments which we fear If they have the benefit of our Money our Church shall have the benefit of their Prayers they will be obliged by our Charity to beseech God to make up our Breaches and heal our Divisions to unite us into the Primitive Apostolical Government and Communion that our Jerusalem may be as a City that is compact together and once more become as she formerly hath been the glory of all Reformed Churches and terrible as an Army with Banners to her Enemies of Rome Therefore let every one of you be merciful unto them after his power if thou hast much give plenteously if thou hast little do thy diligence to give of that little for if there be first a willing mind it is accepted by God according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not Only I charge you who are rich in this world that you be ready to give and glad to distribute unto them laying up in store for your selves a good foundation against the time to come that you may attain Eternal Life which God of his infinite mercy grant us all through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS